JOHN M. ARMLEDER
DAIRY ART CENTRE
SPRING/SUMMER 2013
Curated by Alessandro Rabottini this presentation of Armleder's work is put together as a retrospective.
The work presented allows us to see the artist as easily evading definition and categorisation through a combination of selected works and installations that are specific to the space.
As we walk through we encounter samples of his incredibly diverse work. His production modes seem to define these works for us: "Furniture installation", "Pour paintings", "Puddle paintings" and "Stencil paintings".
The installations seem most challenging, through their usage of mixed media, technology, found objects, neon, sound and beautifully made plexiglass cabinets with collections of items.
The exhibition information tells us he was interested in the "Fluxus" movement from an early time and this seems to have come through to us by the constant presentation of collected items. We are told that Armleder's work sits somewhere between Duchamp's interest in transforming the everyday and Warhol's interest in consumerism.
The artist wishes us to transform his collections of everyday objects into experiences that challenge and supersede their immediate aesthetic reference and their functional usage. Atmospheres, created through the usage of sound loops, fool the viewer into an acceptance of altering values towards the merging of "aesthetics and function".
